Chapter 6: Better Days

Three days had passed since that unfortunate Friday evening. It had been a difficult time for Rikka to say the least. She had learned that her father had developed a rare case of amoebiasis—a disease caused by a parasite that spread through water—which had infected his liver. So instead of spending some quality time with her parents that weekened, she had been worrying over her father's surgery. She hadn't got any sleep on Friday, and without her mother's support, she would have handled it a lot worse. But when the news had finally come that the surgery had gone well, tears of joy had washed away the fear. At present, her father was still recovering at the Oogai Municipal Hospital, where her mother worked.

Thinking about it now, she had been lucky that Ira hadn't appeared while her father had been home. It was enough that Raquel had got hurt because of her. But she knew that Ira's objective hadn't been to hurt them; otherwise he wouldn't have broken down like that. As for the hole in the floor, she had said she had made it by dropping one of her father's souvenirs. It was a poor excuse, but her mother hadn't scolded her under those circumstances. Initially, Rikka had only recounted the incident to Mana over the phone. She had been hesitant about telling the other girls because she felt stupid and there was nothing she could do now. But just like Raquel, she knew that they all had to be ready for anything.

On Sunday, she and her mother had paid her father a visit, which had helped to ease her worry. She had spent the rest of the day with her mother but had snuck out in the evening to fight a jikochu. She had met up with her friends then; Even Cure Ace had appeared, but she had left as soon as they had purified the jikochu. After all the damage had been reversed, Rikka had decided to tell her friends the truth. It had gone as well as you might expect.

...

'Girls, what matters is that Rikka and Raquel are okay.' Mana raised her hands to halt the discussion that had ensued after Rikka's testimony. The four girls sat in a circle on the flat roof of one of the houses uptown, where they wouldn't be disturbed. The sun was almost down, and streetlamps illuminated the streets below.

'That's right~sharu,' Sharuru agreed, sitting in front of her partner like the other fairies.

The other two girls exchanged concerned glances, still agitated by the news. Makoto's fists clenched on her lap while Alice's eyes reflected her inner turmoil. Dabi had a brooding look on her face, and Lance watched the others in confusion.

'Of course we're glad,' Makoto said in a strained voice as her emotions were in tumult. 'But this never should have happened!'

Rikka kept her gaze lowered, unable to look her in the eyes. 'I know. It's my fault.'

Alice, who sat opposite Rikka, leaned forward so that Rikka would hear her. 'None of us could have expected it', she said.

The cat fairy put her paw to her chin in thought, then she turned to Raquel, who had been silent. 'But Ira must feel guilty after all if he let you both go~dabi.'

Raquel crossed his arms with a pout. All he knew was that Ira had knocked him unconscious.

'He was threatening them!' Makoto raised her voice and her brow wrinkled with worry. 'He may feel guilty now, but for how long?'

Rikka's stomach clenched at the thought, but then she frowned and spoke up too. 'He didn't even want to be there. He was desperate because he's suspected of treason.'

Everyone fell silent as they processed this information, and the noise of the city in the background became clearer.

'Treason~lance?' the bear fairy repeated.

This led to further discussion among the circle of girls and fairies. None of them wanted to risk the possibility of another confrontation. However, there wasn't much they could do to protect Rikka without revealing her identity to her parents. Even though Rikka insisted that Ira wasn't intent on hurting them, everyone agreed that they should at least take some safety precautions.

...

And so, Rikka had come into possession of a special pink taser from Alice for 'any case she should find herself in danger'. She had found it unnecessary, but she had kept the device for Raquel's sake. She had never been afraid of Ira, but she was deeply saddened by his actions. As for Raquel, he had been much more anxious than his partner over those past three days. Rikka had done her best to assure him that they would be okay. And he, in turn, had told her several times that what had happened was not her fault.

Today was Monday, the start of a new school week. The weather was more inviting than yesterday, and Rikka was in a better mood too. With her lunch box packed, she put on her shoes, grabbed her bag and headed out. She walked up to the wooden gate which connected the wall fence around her house. When Rikka opened it, she jerked back as she was met with Mana's smiling face.

'Hi, Rikka!' her best friend greeted her loudly.

Rikka sighed internally. She had been a little jumpy lately. 'Mana, what are you doing here?'

Before Mana could answer, Sharuru's voice came from her school bag. 'We just wanted to make sure you were okay~sharu.'

The last thing Rikka wanted was to make her friends worry about her. Then again, if she were in Mana's shoes, she probably would have been even more cautious. 'Oh, yeah, we're alright. You don't have to worry,' she blurted out, hoping that it would be enough to convince them.

'But thanks~quel,' Raquel said in a more positive tone.

Rikka heaved a small sigh as she locked the gate and then followed her friend down the quiet street. Mana was going right back in the direction of her house, but she didn't seem to mind the extra distance. However, she wasn't as chipper this morning as she usually was.

'So, how is your dad?' she turned to Rikka with a caring expression.

Rikka gave her a hopeful smile, appreciating the concern. 'He's doing better. I'm going to visit him again today.'

The pink-haired girl lightened up at this. 'That's great!' she chirped. She then put a reassuring hand on Rikka's shoulder, catching her attention. 'Don't worry. I'm sure he'll recover soon.'

Rikka thanked her for the support. Mana's optimistic nature was enough to make anyone's troubles feel smaller. However, the scar left by the selfish boy still hurt and only festered as she tried to hide it. The two schoolgirls walked in silence for a moment. Just as Rikka was going to ask Mana about her plans for the day, Mana interrupted her.

'And how are you doing?'

Rikka's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the question. 'Me? I'm fine.'

Mana's brow knitted slightly, indicating her doubt. But then she simply shrugged and gave Rikka a genial smile. 'Alright. Just know I'm here if you need to vent.'

Rikka averted her gaze in hesitation. Obviously, Mana could tell that she wasn't fine, she just wasn't pushy. Rikka thought there must have been something wrong with her, feeling the way she did. However, if there was one person with whom she could be completely honest, it was her best friend. 'Well, you know...' She sighed, slowing down her step before she let it out. 'I still think about what Ira did.'

'Right...' Mana said in a sad tone while Raquel pricked his ears.

Rikka clenched the strap of her school bag as she tried to find the words to explain this. 'It's just- I'm so confused!' Her voice came out more frustrated than she had intended. 'On the one hand, I never want to see him again. But on the other I...'

'You keep hoping?'

Rikka lifted her eyes to stare at Mana in awe. Mana didn't think that she was weird; she seemed to know exactly how Rikka was feeling.

'What do you mean~quel?' Raquel asked in a low voice.

Mana smiled sadly, shifting her gaze to the grey pavement. 'I know it seems irrational to think about how your enemy feels. But...' She met Rikka's eyes again, and Rikka saw a glimmer of light in them. 'We know that there's some good in him, so all isn't lost.'

The blue-haired girl fell silent as she thought about it. Of course Mana would understand; she was still thinking about Regina! Even though Mana had accepted the fact that Regina was their enemy now, she hadn't given up on her. No matter how painful it was, she held out hope that she would get her friend back one day.

A gentle smile crossed Rikka's lips as she looked at her. 'Yeah. Thanks, Mana.'

The duo picked up their pace again, heading in the direction of Oogai Middle School.

...

All members of the student council were lined up at the school's entrance in their summer uniforms. As always, Rikka stood on Mana's side while they greeted students walking into the campus. While Mana was enjoying these happy moments, Rikka's thoughts kept wandering elsewhere. She was considering two reasons why she hadn't seen Ira since Friday. Either, he had realized that he couldn't find the princess that way. Or, he had been punished like he had told her. She didn't want that to be the case...

While she wasn't paying attention, one student suddenly diverted from the crowd and approached Mana.

'Scuse me, I'm new here...' he murmured, holding his hands in front of him. He was a young boy with short, jet black hair, and his complexion was tanner than most of the students'.

'Oh, Welcome to Oogai Middle School!' Mana exclaimed as her face lit up with excitement. 'I'm the student council president, Aida Mana,' she introduced herself and bowed.

'Nice to meet you,' the boy replied meekly and quickly bowed too. He looked at her with one of his brown eyes as the other was covered up by his long fringe. 'I'm Okitomo Shiro. Will you show me around?'

It seemed that he didn't have the best social skills, but Mana didn't mind.

'Sure, I can do that!' she said happily and was about to head off when Juujou, who stood on her left, tapped on her shoulder.

'President, you said we would talk after the aisatsu.'

'Oh, right,' Mana said, pulling her foot back again.

As the secretary of the president, Rikka was always ready to assist her friend. 'It's okay, Mana. I'll take care of this,' she offered gladly.

'Thanks, Rikka!' Mana clasped her hands in gratitude.

Rikka smiled and stepped out of the line of students, gesturing to the new guy with her hand. 'Follow me.'

The dark-haired boy did as he was told, and they headed towards the main building alongside other students.

'I'm Hishikawa Rikka, secretary to the student council,' Rikka said, turning to the boy with her hand on her chest.

'Ah, hello.' He bowed his head, looking a little flustered. He was approximately the same height as Rikka, and his voice had already dropped.

'So, you're a transfer student?' Rikka asked to break the ice.

'Um, kind of,' Okitomo replied shyly, avoiding her gaze. 'I was home-schooled, actually.'

This response surprised Rikka. It seemed strange to start attending school during the summer semester. She supposed that Okitomo had just moved to Oogai Town. 'Oh, so this is all new to you,' she said with sympathy as they stepped onto the porch.

Watching the other students pass them by, Okitomo sighed. 'Yeah.'

They walked through the double doors into a hall with sets of wooden lockers stacked in rows. There was a lot of chatter as students were changing their shoes there.

Rikka wasn't as good as Mana at making people open up, but she still wanted to help the new guy feel welcome. 'Are you excited?'

As they stopped, Okitomo rubbed the back of his neck. 'I'm more nervous, to be honest,' he replied.

Even though he was bad at keeping eye contact, Rikka turned to him with a friendly smile. 'You don't have to be, really. Oogai Middle School is a nice place.'

The boy's unobstructed eye met her gaze, and he froze up for a moment. But then he smiled back, and his shoulders sagged as the tension in them lessened.

After they had changed their shoes, Rikka took Okitomo on a tour around the school. For the next twenty minutes, she had been guiding him through the familiar environment. She showed him the laboratory, the art room, the music room, the sports grounds and other facilities of the school. She also answered any questions that Okitomo had about how public schools worked. He seemed pretty overwhelmed, but Rikka didn't blame him. At last, it was time for them to get to class. They returned to the first floor of the main building and stopped in the hallway. There were almost no students there now.

'You said you went to class 1-A, right?' Rikka asked the boy to make sure.

'Yeah,' he nodded, looking quite anxious again.

'Then your classroom is right over there.' Rikka directed his gaze to one of the doors with a wooden sign above it. Okitomo nodded and let out a sigh to calm himself down. Rikka turned to him with a comforting look. 'You'll be fine, trust me. And if you need anything, the student council is in room 26 in the afternoon.'

'Okay. Thank you,' the boy replied, bowing deeply to show his appreciation.

Rikka smiled at this. She hoped that Okitomo would grow to like their school. 'You're welcome. See you around then!' she said, taking a step back as she got ready to leave.

'Yeah, see you,' Okitomo replied happily and waved Rikka goodbye. The girl then ran up the stairs to get to her own classroom in time.

...

After classes finished, Mana and Makoto were going to meet Alice and hang out that afternoon, since they were all free. But Rikka had excused herself as she already had other plans. She took a bus from a stop near the school, and after some 30 minutes, she arrived at her destination - the Oogai Municipal Hospital. The complex of white buildings with many windows reminded Rikka of a huge beehive. Thanks to her mother's occupation, she had never been afraid of doctors or hospitals, only of illnesses. She had always fantasized about working here one day.

But the only thing on her mind now was her father. She went straight to the isolation ward, where she took the lift to the third floor. Her father's illness couldn't spread through air, but he was still placed on contact precautions. When she got off, she headed down a narrow hallway with a row of blue doors on each side. Eyeing the signs on the doors, she spotted the number 212 and stopped in front of it. Just as she was about to knock, she heard a tune coming from her school bag. But it wasn't her mobile phone, it was the Lovely Commune.

Oh no, Rikka thought as she took the device and brought it to her ear. It seemed that the visit would have to be postponed.

'Hi, Rikka,' Alice's voice came from the other side.

'What happened?' Rikka asked immediately in a low voice, hiding the commune behind her hair.

'Well, I'm sure Raquel detected the jikochu that has just appeared,' the other girl replied. She sounded as if she were running.

Rikka sighed internally. She had thought that Alice would tell her where to go, but what she heard next surprised her. 'But you needn't come. Aguri is with us, so we will take care of it.'

This made Rikka's jaw drop. Even if all her friends agreed with this, she couldn't just stay here and let them fight alone. 'What? No, I can totally-'

'Please, let us handle it. Your dad needs you more now,' Alice said in a resolute voice, and before Rikka could say anything, the phone call ended.

Rikka looked at the commune in her hand with a confused expression. Was this really okay? She felt bad about not being there to help her friends. But they had got stronger and Cure Ace was with them, so she could trust them, right?

'A-hem. I need to pass through here.'

A harsh voice made Rikka snap back to reality. When she turned around, she saw a middle-aged nurse holding a medical trolley, staring her down with judging eyes. She just now realized that she was standing in the middle of the hallway.

'Ah, sorry,' Rikka squaked and practically jumped toward the door.

The female nurse pushed the trolley past her, letting out an irritated sigh. Rikka held her arm and stared at the groung in embarrassment. Well, if Cure Ace was fighting so that she could stay here, she supposed she should.

She sighed and finally knocked on the door. 'Excuse me' she said as she walked into the room.

Opposite the door was a large window and on the right, there were two hospital beds in a parallel position, with small cabinets next to them. On the other side, there was a door to the bathroom and a white table with a chair. The bed closer to the door was where her father was lying, while the other bed was occupied by another man.

'Rikka, what a surprise!' her father said, pleased by the unexpected visit. He wore a light blue hospital gown and had a cannula on his arm, connected to an IV bag on a stand.

'Hi, papa,' Rikka replied quietly and said hello to the other person too. 'How are you feeling?'

'Better now that you're here,' her father replied optimistically. It hurt to see him so pale and feeble, but he looked happier than when she had seen him yesterday.

Rikka took the plastic chair and placed it closer to the bed. She knew she just wasn't supposed to touch him.

'I'm glad to hear that. Mama and I are worried about you,' she said, and couldn't help getting a little emotional again.

The man with purple curls shifted his gaze with a sad smile. 'I'm sorry. I really wanted to spend last weekend with you two.'

'Well, you owe it to us once you get well,' Rikka said resolutely, crossing her arms.

Her pouting face made the man chuckle. 'I know, I know. The doctor said I could leave tomorrow or in two days.'

Rikka eyes widened as she couldn't contain her enthusiasm. 'Really? That's great news!'

The man smiled back at her from the bed. This had been the first time he had developed such a dangerous infection, and the pain he still felt was nothing compared to the joy he felt then. To think that even though he spent so much time working overseas, his daughter cared about him so much.

Then suddenly, a loud roar came from the slightly opened window.

'Jikochuuu!'

Rikka stifled a gasp as a cold shiver travelled down her spine. A jikochu? Here?! Did that mean there were two at the same time?

'What was that?' the young man in the bed closer to the window cried.

Rikka instantly stood up, her expression serious and her voice urgent. 'It came from outside. I'll ask someone what's going on,' she said, leaving the chair by the bed as she headed for the door.

'Rikka, wait!' her father called out with a confused expression.

The girl briefly stopped to look at him. 'I'll be back!' she said, then she ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Author's note:

Dear readers, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been following this story. I started writing it in high school without really hoping to finish it. But I still come back to it because it's my most viewed story, and I'm truly grateful for that. Hopefully it won't take me a whole year to write the next chapter. If you want, you can check out my other Precure stories that are actually completed.

Have a great day!